Block flooring



Patented June 14, 1927; ,y Y. Y

UNITED .STAT-Es PATENT goFFIcE.

`WILLHIAM DALTON, OF. GLENVILLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR r.KLO GENERALvELEC'IBI i i COMPANY, A CORPORATION F NEW YORK.

` BLOCK FLOORING'.

The 4present invention relates to block` flooring, such as isusedyinfactories and 'in` dustrial buildings,l and. more particularly to the4construction of ducts for pipes, conduits, 5 wiring and the like in suchfiooring as, required in connection with individual apparatus andmachines located thereon.

y Block fiooring is usually laid'over a concrete sub-floor,. althoughVit may be laid 'overl v 'any y'suitable smooth foundation flooring. Itsuse effects a material saving in floor oost over other formsof'flooring, such as wooden planks for example, and when composed ofwooden blocks has `been found lto be more durable than the plankflooring.

The. advantages of decreased. cost and durability have heretofore -beenaccompanied bythe disadvantage that the placing of ducts in'blocl;iooring has necessitated cuttingv and fitting the blocks about the ductswhich. were fixedin placebefore the `blocks were laid. y The cutting andfitting of the blocks results in a Vverypoor and loose floorconstruction and interferesV with the speed vof laying of the blocks,thereby in- .creasing the labor cost.

4It is the object of this invention to provide an improved duct forlblock flooring which is adjustable in length, 'width andV alignmentwhereby it accommodates variations in the floor blocks without the`usualcutting and fitting, and the method of pro` vlding suoli ducts 1n ablock floor without.

interfering .with the rapid laying of the blocks.

For a further considerationof what is believed to be novel and theinvention, attention is now directed to the accompanying drawing, thedescription thereof and the appended claims. In the drawing, y partly insection, of a portion of the floor and one side wal'lof` a modern.factoryV building provided with floor ducts in accordance with theinvention;` Fig; 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale of a floor`duct of Fig.

1, andy Fig. 3 is a view in perspective, also on an 4enlarged scale, butreduced from that of` Fig. 2, of a iioor rduct in the course of tionduct connected therewith.

vReferring to the drawing, 'is'a longitudiofk block covering.

Fig. l is `a plan view,

`being completed, together with a distribu- 6 is a sub-floor adapted tolreceive 'a block covering 7 In the present example theV sub-v floor. is,together withwvall 5, of concrete,

of blocks in a: block floor, although the `in# vention is not limited toany particularform i tend transversely of the building and are laid insuccessive rows, from one `endof the.

The rows of .blocks ex#L building to the otherlongitudinallythereof,

against the preceding row so that the finished ioor isv tight and smoothwith no each row beingr rammed lunder. kpressure bays `l1 locatedbetweenfloor supporting columns l2 and connected with the mainaisle. In eachbay are one or more branchducts 18 extending transversely out from adis# tribution duct 14 toward the main VaislelO.

y-In the present example two branch ducts are provided in each aisle,whilethe distribution duct 11i is` adjacent wall 5, al-

thoughthe invention is not limited to any number of`ducts or theirlocation on the floor except as hereinafter pointed Out. This ductvarrangement is duplicated on the opposite'side of aisle I0, as indicatedby branch ducts l5 correspondingto branch ducts 13, the remainderthereof not being shown for the reason that this arrangement is a duplircation of .that shown, as above mentioned.

The ducts are formed by a pair of spaced,

parallel stringers `16 laid on the sub-floor 6 and a sectional coverplate 17 laidl over they stringers. The thickness ofthe stringersisvsuch that'the cover plates lie flush with the surface of the blocks 8,as indicated in Fig. 2.' The 'stringere and cover plates may be of anysuitable material, such as for examplel long` leaf yellow pine andcorrugated sheet viron or steel-respectively. The plates are of athickness sufficient to provide the proper supporting strength for `allobjectswhich be placed uponthem or moved over them in the regular useofthe building, such as small loaded electric trucks. Inthis connectionit will be noted that the `ducts are so placed that vthey do not lie inthe path of the usual tratlie about'. the floor, since they do notextend into or across the main aisle 10 and are located adjacentopposite sides of the branch machine bays Al1 and on oppo- `4bite sidesot the central aisle therein which is open.

The location of machines which are snpplied with conduit and wiringconnections from the ducts are indicated by dotted squares 18. Toprovide connection with a duct, a cover platesection is removedadliaeent the machine, drilled to provide openings for the connectingconduits, wiringv and` the like and replaced after the connection ismade. The use otI a sectional covering means for the duets permitsconvenient access thereto at di'l'i'erent points without removirn` theentire covering. In the present example the thickness ot' stringers 1Gis made such that the covering' means lies flush with the blocli floorlevel, but in any case it if: desirable that the duct formingmeansshould be lush with the floor level.

lVith the above-described arrangement ot duets, the distribution ductsare adjacent the walls and receive connect-ion with conduits. such as amain conduit 2O directly from a duct Q1 in wall 5. In the present.example 20 is a wiring conduit containing; distribution cables Q2 whichare laid in duct 14. and connected with feeder cables Q3 laid in duets13.

The distribution ducts are not necessarihv located adjacent the walls othe building, as shown, although this location is at present preferred infactory buildings for the reason that easy connection is made theretofrom wall conduits, such as conduit 20, and for the reason that they arethen not in the line ot tratlic while beingeasily accessible at alltimes.

The main consideration in placing the distribution ducts is that theyextend longitudinally ot the floor, that is, so that the rows of floorblocks run transverselyY with respect to them. This is for the reasonthat in providing a `floor in accordance with the invention thedistribution ducts are laid down on the sub-Hoor beiore the laying o'the blocks is commenced and thus serve as longitudinal boundaries orguides tor the blocks much in the same manner as do the Side walls otthe building when such iioors are laid without ducts. Thus the provisionof such distribution ducts does not interlere with the usual rapidlaying ot the blocks but serve to guide the laying: ot' the blocks inthe sanne manner as the usual side walls or other boundaries of tioorareas.

It' time permits before the blocks are laid, the stringers forming thesides ot' the d'istribution ducts may be permanently secured to thefloor by any suitable means in the desired spaced relation to form aduct of the proper width or, in case timeA does not permit them to besecured lo the. sub-floor before the block llooring is laid. thestrine'crs are laid in the desired position.` and held in the desired.spaced relation to each other by any suitable means, such as ttoorblocks Q5, dropped in between them at' intervals, as indicated in Fig.3.

'lhe block llooringr is then laid along and abutting` the distributionduct or ducts. each row beingl rammed undeiI pressure against thepreceding;l row until a deired location for a branch duct 11B. or a lineo' branch ducts as represented by ducts 113 and l5 in end to endrelation. reached. ,i pair olt stringere are then laid on the sub-lloortor each duct desired, abutting' at one end a stringn' 1b forming; theinner wall ol' the distribution duct 15. as indicated in Fig. Il, andextending' from said :'-tringer along the edge et the. block lioorine'.indicated at 2G, The stringers tor the branch ducts 13 are blocked apartto 'form the duct ol the desired width, by anjg,v suitable means, suchas floor blocks 2i placed at intervals along the duet between the.--1tringers.

The overall width oi: the duct' and stringers is made tal to that ol acertain number ot' rows` ot floor bloclis. t'or example three asindicated in Fig. 1. flo tl at the rows` of blocks are unbroken acrossthe width ot the tioor. In the pre-ent eraimple the ductsy and stringersare each substantially equal in width to a floor bloes. that is. a rowolI blocl-s, whereby the lloor blocl-:s ma)v be used to space thestringers to provide the total overall width oli these rows withoutchipping the spacing block.`v except to meet slight variations in thewidth ot' the blot-le l'ormingfy the preceding` rows.

lVhen the stringers l'ormiuo duct or ducts have teen este trozn thedistribution duct the deflred mitance. l'or example out to tlnl meinaisle 10. b'v providinestringers ot tl e correct length or additionalstringers in continuation one oi" the other as indici-.ted :it if. l.and bloulv'ed or otherwise temporal il;v held apart in spaced relationto each other as above explained, the laying ot the :ueceedine rows ofblock llooring indicated at' il and Pill. Fie: 3, continues as beforeuntil a new location for a second line ot' branch duets is reached whentwo stringfei-s with suitable temporary spacingmeans between them areput down in place ol a cert.: yi number ol' rows ot blocks 'tor thclength ot branch duct desired. 'lfhe laying ot the rev-:s ol' blocksythen continues as be'lfore until in thisy manner the entire tioorcovering with ducts in place is laid.

By this arrangement, tbe wort: et laying the block lioorinc isuninterrupted since the stringersi and spacers replace in part, certainrows of bloclcl and are laid as rapidly as the blocks which theyreplace. lt further the brauch lou neasgfseo L perttsithe A'block"rows'to be ,rammed to a tightiiitL sand the duct stringere vto thereby ifit, tightly between .adjacent rows of blocks jwithoutehipping orfittingsaid-adjacent yrows *since the stringers and`- spacing means Nforthefducts' are movable with theI ad] acent "rows'o'f blocks l during'the rainining process. Thejenti'reioor is'thuslaidtightly and per-VJnafneirtly,Without interruption and Without Vthe uslnlrchippingfit-ting required adjacent sich duct as-heretotore, 'resulting in a less'expensive'and betterfloor.

"FollowingA the 4laying ofthe block ifloor-l ing, the stringers,including those for the distribution ducts i'f the latter have not beenyinitially fastened, are "fastened to the sub- ',fiioorytheiblock spacers"removed, and juncrti'onsibetween the distribution land' branch 'ductsmade "cutting through the stringersiflthe `distribution ducts incontinuation of the branch ducts, .Eigsland 3. .y

fTn thevpreferred arrangement shown yin `,the present/example, for useover .concrete islb-oors,`thelstrangers areprovided 1n advance withspaced, counterbored bolt holes 32 'to receive expansion bolts' Whichare se- (sllledinl` drilled' holesin the sub-Hoor, the

la-tterffholesbeing drilled with the bolt holes as guides. lInTig. 3,the stringere are .shown bolted down and out through toy form the Ajunction` between the r.branch and disvtribntion ductsv preparatory toremoving the tion of machinery and apparatus.

` heretoforel necessary.

@spacing blocks 2'an'd "27 In certain cases 'thelblocks .areremovedfassoon as the string ers V are 'f'astened to the' sub-,fioo`r.,In any Aevent it Willfbefseen.thatthe stringere when if'astened, "serveto hold thel vblock vrows in Vcompressed lri'elationjito eachother inaddi? t-ion to forming the side Walls'otthe ducts.` AsA a 'fnaloperation, "the coverplates are laid overthe ducts, except Where Wiringor conduit Work' is tobe installed immediately,` to keep the `ductsclean' during 'the vinstalla- The coverv ,platestof the present exampleare fastened tothe stringers by fiat headwoodv screws indicated at34,'Fig. l, so that the finished and covered.` duct presentsthe samesmooth surface as the block covering onfeach side of it. i Y

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a floor constructedand provided with ducts-in accordance With` the invention maybe'fastightly, easily and as perfectly -laid as a block floor Withoutducts, and does not involve additional labor and Waste mate-v rial costsincidental to the usual cutting and fitting of the blocks about lixedducts as Furthermore, with vthe present method of construction theblocks and ducts are Jfree to move and pack tightly together when beinglaid, thus forming a more permanentfloor which is finally secure'd tothesub-ioor at points valong the as indicated at 31,:

ducts forfthe purposeof'removmg the temy 'porary spacing [means and"`holding theblock rows inV compressed relationjas laid. In other Words7the -means tormingthe-duct side Walls. aresecured tothe vsub-floor onlyafter the Whole'islaid and eachunitthereo has assumed `a final positionoi equilibrium 1n response to the ramming pressure to `which the`rowsare subjected during the, laying process. Thusithe' ductslof thepresent invention do 'not preventthe floor blocks from" moving 7andequalizing undesirable pressures, thereby preventing*loose fitting`blocks at one y point and lifted, tightly pressed -iblocksatanother-pointin the tinished iloor. j 'l r `It will be'appreciatedthat the branch ducts may befof anylength'and may, if de` sired,A extendcontinuouslyacross the fiioor for example, *in which case the.` duct`and stringer Width is not important landjneed not equal that of acertain number of rows ot blocks, since the f duct yand fstringersV'extend fully? across the door* and occupy lfull rows inleungth.v i IIntheusual case suchasithat ofthepresent example, thebranchor-transverse ducts and` stringere occupy-the'space in-one or` moreltransverse Irows v*which ordinarily would betal'en by-blocks, but donotv extend thefull length of the rowstoprovi'de aisle l() and hencemust conform in Width to the blocks'in ay multipleof: one dimensionthereof, depending upon the,numberfofroivs of blocks Within'ivhich theduct and stringers lie, the shape of thebloclis and the manner -in whichthey Vare, laid. That isQhad the 'floor,blocksin'theniioor shown in the,drawingwbeen laid sifdeby side linsteadof end to end,tl1e` rows ofvblocks would have been uider and them-cansproviding the ducts 13 i vandlyavould havean` overall Width of .some n :multiple otthegwidth of therows of blocks :as/before, which i-n`v this assumed casewould b'e' thelength ot'z'a bloclrfandnot its Width.v

llt)

" Itwi-ll therefore be seen from the toregovingv that the "Width of thermeans 'forming' a duct other than a longitudinally extendingdistribution duct likeV duct 14, must be'of some multiple of onedimension of a block if duplicate" floor blocks .are to be used butthereto and may be applied to any block' flooring having` blocks of suchshape thatv substantially 'parallel stringers may be thrown dovvn andtemporarily spaced to t into the block arrangement without chipping ortting and without interrupting the general progress in laying the floor.

v'The distribution and branch duct arrangement of the present example,together with the main and branch aisle layout of a floor substantially7as shown in the present example, is particularly well adapted tofactories and industrial buildings, both from a cost and an operationview point, and represents the present preferred embodiment of theinvention, although the latter is not limited to such an arrangement ashas hereinbefore been pointed out.

That I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is:

1. The combination with a sub-fioor, of a block covering therefor, andmeans forming a duet in the covering, said duet being open at the top,one dimension of which means is equal to a multiple of the transversedi` mension of a block in said covering.

2. The combination with a sub-Hoor, of a covering therefor comprising alayer of blocks and means forming a duet in said covering, a cover forthe duct supported by said means.y the overall thickness of the coverand duct forming means being equal to the thickness of the floorcovering and the overall width of the duct-forming means being equal toa multiple of one dimension of a block in said covering.

3. The combination with a sub-floor, of a block covering therefor, andmeans forming a duct in the covering. said means comprising spacedstringers, the overall width of the st-ringers and space between thembeing substantiallyv equal to a multiple of one dimension of a blockforming said covering.

Ll. The combination with a sub-Hoor, of av covering therefor comprisinga layer of blocks laid thereon in parallel tightly Compressed rows andmeans forming a'duct in the covering between certain of t-he block rows,said means comprising spaced stringers laid on the iioor and securedthereto to hold the block rows in compressed recovering thereforcomprising a. layer of blocks laid thereon in parallel tightlycompressed rowsA` and means forming duets in said covering betweencertain of said rows, said means comprising spaced stringers compressedbetween said rows of blocks and secured to the sub-floor whereby saidstringers form the side walls of the ducts and hold the block rows insaid compressed relation to each other.

G. In a floor covering, the combination vith al layer of blocksproviding a floor surface, of means forming a duet within the blocklayer, said means having an overall width substantially equal to amultiple of one dimension of a block and a cover for the duct supportedby said means substantiallv flush with the floor surface.

7. In a floor covering, the combination with a layer of blocks providingal floor surflee` of means substantially flush with said surface forminga duct within the block layer, said means having an overall widthsubstantially equal to aI multiple of one dimension of a block, saidmeans comprising a pair of spaced stringers and a covering membertherefor.

8. The combination with a sub-floor, of a block covering therefor. saidcovering comprising parallel rows of duplicate blocksv` a pair of spacedstringers between certain of said rows of blocks forming the sidemembers of a duct, means forming a cover for said stringers and duct,said stringers and cover means being substantially equal in thickness tothe floor blocks and said stringers and duct being substantially equalin overall width to a multiple of the width of one of said rows ofblocks.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of April,1926.

WILLIAM DALTON CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1,632,590. Granted June t4, 1927, to

WILLIAM DALTON.

It is hereby certified that errer appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: vPage Lt,line 20, claim l, strike eut the word "one" and insert instead titewerds "the transverse", and line 21, strike ent the words "thetransverse" and insert instead the word "one"; and that the said LettersPatent should be read with titese corrections therein that the same mayconform to the reeerd of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of July, A. D. 1927.

M. J. Moore,

Seal. Acting Commissioner of Patents.

